The present invention is a system and method for using wind power for the generation of hydrogen and oxygen. In its simplest form the wind is used to rotate a wind turbine, which is attached to an electric generator. The electricity produced by the generator is then used to power an electrolysis subsystem, which produces hydrogen and oxygen from the water in the electrolysis salt bath.
The novelty in the present system arises from the fact that the wind turbines are located on collection vessels at sea, configured for this purpose. The vessels can be disposed out of the sight of land, which avoids the political problems attendant to the location of wind farms in proximity to residential areas. Furthermore, the collection vessels may be moved to the areas having the optimal wind and sea conditions for the generation of these gasses.
In a sense, the present system is a method of extracting and storing energy from the wind for future use. It has been noted, for example, that the use of hydrogen as a fuel for automobiles requires that energy be expended to produce the hydrogen before it is released to propel an automobile. Storing the energy in the form of compressed gasses is an alternative to the traditional storage methods, such as electric batteries.
The present invention utilizes variable speed, high torque wind turbines that maximize power output per capital dollar expended on the system. Further, the land costs of traditional wind farms are eliminated, together with the location limitations and political issues associated with wind turbine sites. This invention includes a storage, transfer and distribution system that utilizes state-of-the art communication and control sub-systems, thereby minimizing operational labor costs.
The sea west or east of the continental United States, contains the best wind quality for wind turbine applications, and is far superior to most of the land sites available. Due to the curvature of the earth, sites located 20 to 25 miles from land are not visible and, therefore, political opposition to the use of such sites is greatly reduced.
There are many ocean sites currently employing wind turbine technology to generate electricity. Denmark, for instance, has very aggressive plans to convert most of its energy generation to wind-based systems within the next ten years. In the United States, locations in Nantucket Sound, off Cape Cod, Mass., are being considered as sites for wind farms.
These sites, however, are connected directly to local power grids, as opposed to the storage of power in the forms of the present invention. Furthermore, most of these pior-art systems are on the land or close to land and are, therefore, impacted by land effect conditions which make energy generation much more costly than generation at sea. The sea-based prior art systems are generally anchored directly onto the ocean bottom and, therefore, must be located in areas of shallow ocean depths.
To overcome these restrictions, the present method provides for wind generation systems at sea which are free floating. Thus, with the present approach there are far fewer site limitations, no land costs, and limited potential political opposition.
The following description discloses and claims a system to cost effectively generate hydrogen and oxygen gas by using wind as an alternative energy source. The application further describes how the floating sites at sea are configured and managed to provide the most cost effective method for this technology.